Enabling functionality at a user plane function, UPF, by a session management function, SMF, in a telecommunication network

Abstract

A method of enabling functionality at a User Plane Function, UPF, by a Session Management Function, SMF, in a telecommunication network. The method includes receiving, by the UPF, a session creation/modification message for creating/modifying a session between the UPF and the SMF, wherein the session creation/modification message includes a session functionality indication for indicating functionality to be enabled for said session, and enabling, by the UPF, the functionality during the session between said UPF and the SMF.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of enabling functionality at a User Plane Function, UPF, by a Session Management Function, SMF, in a telecommunication network, the UPF comprising a list of profiles, each profile comprising one or more possible functionalities that can be enabled for a session, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the UPF, a session creation/modification message for creating/modifying a session between the UPF and the SMF, the session creation/modification message comprising a session functionality indication for indicating functionality to be enabled for the session, and the session functionality indication comprises a particular profile among the list of profiles that is to be enabled for the session; 
 enabling, by the UPF the one or more functionalities associated with the particular profile during the session between the UPF and the SMF; 
 transmitting, by the UPF, an acknowledgement message to the SMF for acknowledging that the UPF has enabled the functionality during the session between said UPF and the SMF; and 
 the session is a Packet Forwarding Control Protocol, PFCP, session. 
 
     
     
       2. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the receiving comprises:
 receiving, by the UPF, the session functionality indication, wherein the session functionality indication comprises a particular profile among the list of profiles that is to be enabled for the session, 
 and wherein the enabling comprises: 
 enabling, by the UPF, the one or more functionalities associated with said particular profile. 
 
     
     
       3. The method in accordance with  claim 2 , wherein the list of profiles comprises any of:
 a first profile comprising Distributed Denial of Service, DDoS, functionality; and 
 a second profile comprising handling Traffic Optimization functionality. 
 
     
     
       4. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the enabling comprises:
 performing, by the UPF, the enabled functionality for any packet that matches the session between the UPF and the SMF. 
 
     
     
       5. The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 transmitting, by the UPF, to the SMF, a functionality indicator message for indicating a list of functionalities that the UPF can enable for a session between the UPF and the SMF. 
 
     
     
       6. The method in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein the functionality indicator message is a Packet Forwarding Control Protocol, PFCP, Association Setup Request message. 
     
     
       7. A User Plane Function, UPF, arranged for enabling functionality requested by a Session Management Function, SMF, in a telecommunication network, the UPF comprising a list of profiles, each profile comprising one or more possible functionalities that can be enabled for a session, the UPF comprising:
 receive equipment configured to receive a session creation/modification message for creating/modifying a session between the UPF and the SMF, the session creation/modification message comprising a session functionality indication for indicating functionality to be enabled for the session and the session functionality indication comprising a particular profile among the list of profiles that is to be enabled for the session; 
 process equipment configured to enable the one or more functionalities associated with the particular profile during the session between the UPF and the SMF; 
 transmit equipment configured to transmit an acknowledgement message to said SMF for acknowledging that the UPF has enabled the functionality during the session between the UPF and the SMF; and 
 the session is a Packet Forwarding Control Protocol, PFCP, session. 
 
     
     
       8. The UPF in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the list of profiles comprises any of:
 a first profile comprising Distributed Denial of Service, DDoS, functionality; and 
 a second profile comprising handling Traffic Optimization functionality. 
 
     
     
       9. The UPF in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the process equipment is further configured to
 perform the enabled functionality for any packet that matches the session between said UPF and said SMF. 
 
     
     
       10. The UPF in accordance with  claim 7 , wherein the UPF comprises:
 transmit equipment configured to transmit, to the SMF, a functionality indicator message for indicating a list of functionalities that the UPF can enable for a session between the UPF and the SMF. 
 
     
     
       11. The UPF in accordance with  claim 10 , wherein the functionality indicator message is a Packet Forwarding Control Protocol, PFCP, Association Setup Request message. 
     
     
       12. A non-transitory computer storage medium storing a computer program having instructions which, when executed by a User Plane Function, UPF, cause the UPF to implement a method of enabling functionality at the UPF by a Session Management Function, SMF, in a telecommunication network, the UPF comprising a list of profiles, each profile comprising one or more possible functionalities that can be enabled for a session, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the UPF, a session creation/modification message for creating/modifying a session between the UPF and the SMF, the session creation/modification message comprising a session functionality indication for indicating functionality to be enabled for the session, and the session functionality indication comprising a particular profile among the list of profiles that is to be enabled for the session; 
 enabling, by the UPF, the one or more functionalities associated with the particular profile during the session between the UPF and the SMF; 
 transmitting, by the UPF, an acknowledgement message to the SMF for acknowledging that the UPF has enabled the functionality during the session between said UPF and the SMF; and 
 the session being a Packet Forwarding Control Protocol, PFCP, session.